The Fine Line Between Enemies
by LadyFireCat and LittleMissMartini
Summary: One island, three groups. No it's not Survivor. No it's not stupid...I hope. What happens when Aang and his buds run into Zuko and his uncle? Nothing much, they're both banished, eh? But what happens when you throw in Azula and her friends?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Avatar. All of the characters in this story belong to Nickelodeon. But the plot is mine, no matter how overused it is. Bwahahahaha...okay then.

AN: This is by LittleMissMartini who is partners with LadyFireCat, who edits her stories because LittleMissMartini is rather hopeless at it. PS: I do not know every little thing about the Avatar. I'm just a girl, who watches the show, and is not a huge dork about it. Those who complain...you're dorks :)

* * *

Chapter One: It's A Hard Knock Life

The sky was a brilliant blue, and fleecy clouds drifted serenely past the flying bison taking up most of the sky. Perched on this enormous creature was a relatively strangely dressed boy with an arrow tattooed to his forehead, a girl dressed in a warm dress, a sweet-looking girl dressed in green with a film over her eyes, and a grumpy-looking boy sweating his butt off in a sweat-drenched parka.

"I'm sweating my butt off", Sokka complained loudly. Katara wrinkled her nose as she fanned herself.

"Good to know," she told her brother. She turned to Aang. "Hey air bender, send a few swirls over this way, huh?" Aang lifted his head to look at her blearily and feebly waved his hand a few times in no particular rhythm, sending small wisps of warm air their way.

"I'm hot," he grumbled, speaking the obvious. "And I'm really bored. Hey Sokka, how you doing with that dare of yours?" Sokka glowered at him. The three had dared him some hours before to sit for six straight hours in his parka, to test his manly ability.

"I'm doing just dandy, for your blue-tattooed, bald, big-headed information. Just fiinneee and dandy," he spat, and whipped around to stare in the other direction, which happened to be at Appas butt. Aang chortled so much he rolled right off the bisons big head and went shooting straight toward the water below.

"Oh my God, Aang!" Katara screamed, rushing on her knees to the side of the carrier. Sokka, however, seemed to be entirely unconcerned.

"What happened?" cried Toph, alarmed. _Stupid air. Wish I could SEE!_

"Aang, he fell," Katara shouted, panicked. Far from being scared, Toph just grumbled.

"Big deal, he can fly. He's a big boy now, _mother_," she said, and leaned back against the pack triangle.

"Have you ever noticed, that whenever we go anywhere, we usually end up flying over water?" Sokka asked no one in particular. "It's kind of funny. Say, do we have any food?" He left Katara hanging, horrorstruck, over the side of the carrier and crossed over to their pack of supplies.

"Relax," he mumbled through a large chunk of salted seal jerky. "He's an airbender, he's probably surfing or something. By the way, this is really good!" He happily shoved another piece into his mouth and chewed ecstatically. Suddenly, with a whoosh Aang reappeared, dripping and without his shirt.

"You guys!" he shouted. "I'm gonna land Appa! The water's great! How about we have a little break?"

"You--you--" Katara was lost for words, and was quivering with anger. Aang glanced at her.

"What's eating her?" he asked Toph. She shrugged and blew at her fingernails.

"Everything eats her," she answered nonchalantly.

"You had me worried to death!" Katara exploded, ranting. "You just fall off of Appa and now you're all flying and saying we're gonna swim!" Aang backed away.

"Um, sorry?" he offered timidly. "How about we land and have a niiiicccee looong _cooollddd_ swim?" Katara huffed and sat back against the pack triangle with Toph.

"That sounds good," she muttered grumpily. Toph grinned.

"Are you kidding? That sounds _awesome_!" she cried.

"Whoooooohoooo!" Sokka whooped. As soon as they landed on the beautiful white sand, he jumped off and headed straight for the clear blue water.

"Aaaaarghhh!" he shrieked, and started to hop up and down, clutching a burnt foot.

"Aaaauuggghhh! The sands really hot! Hot, hot, hot, hot! Gahh!" He tripped over his own foot and went sprawling headfirst into the water. He rose halfway, only to be forced into a faceplant by a large wave. He stood, dripping and glowering.

"You tricked me, you little--" His sentence was cut short by another enormous wave, knocking him over and curling playfully around him, pulling him further into the water. Aang, Katara, and Toph laughed so hard their stomachs felt like they would digest themselves. Meanwhile Sokka fought against the water, slapping his hands everywhere, trying desperately to get back to shore before another wave got to him.

"How 'bout a little help!" he yelled, bobbing around in the water. Aang and Katara collapsed into fits of laughter again. Katara pulled off her heavy dress-like parka to reveal her white torso wrap and linen underskirt over leggings. Toph, in her similar torso wrap and linen sarong, was practically jumping with anticipation. Aang conjured up air scooters to escort them across the hot sand that had fried Sokkas feet.

"About time," Sokka shouted, floating on his back in the water.

"This feels really nice," Katara said happily, splashing her brother. She had apparently forgotten all about her former hissy fit.

"It would feel nicer if it wasn't splashing me!" Sokka said, trying to use one hand to propel himself away from the offending droplets of water and ending up in the way of a large wave. Aang, meanwhile, was riding on his air scooter on the water.

"Hey guys!" he shouted, "Check this out! I'm scootering on water! Yeah, bet you can't do this--whoa!" A seagull swooped down very near his face and caused the scooter to rotate at top speed.

"Yaaaaaahhhhh!" he shouted gleefully. "Woot!" Katara rolled her eyes.

"Show off!" she shouted. Aang grinned impishly.

"Only because you can't do it!" he yelled back, bouncing over a wave and attempting to catch a seagull. Katara drew water from the ocean and sent a strong jet towards Aang, blowing him into Sokka, who had drifted away from them. Toph felt them through the sand in the ocean floor, and splashed at them too.

"Hi-yaaaaaa!" Sokka shouted, karate chopping the air near Aang's head.

"Kee-YAA!" Katara and Toph joined in, slapping their hands in the water. They all laughed and shouted and started to splash each other. Good times.

* * *

"Have you spotted anything Zuko?" Uncle Iroh called in a bored voice from where he was lounging on his cot inside a large tent. 

"No," snapped Zuko from where he was swaying atop a tall palm tree."How can I see anything from this stupid angle?" He peered into his telescope again. He was starting to regret agreeing to once again travel with his tea-loving uncle. But he had no choice, since he caused major trouble wherever he went and while he was good at starting it, he never quite had it in him to stop it.

"They have to pass this island to get to the Earth kingdom! It's impossible not to. The island of Karu-Loki spans from all four corners, and I should be able to see anything with this telescope. Stupid telescope!" He angrily threw the telescope down into the sand and jumped down after it.

"Patience, Prince Zuko. They must have stopped to take a break or eat. They are not built like you," Uncle Iroh said, getting out a game of chess.

"Come, sit and test your divisionary tactics," he invited. Zuko grimaced.

"Chess?" he whined. "That game's boring. Why don't we blow up a palm tree or something?" He mimed a slicing motion at the nearest tree.

"Because," Iroh said calmly, moving his pawn forward, "then the Fire Nation would know we are here and send ships to capture you. Or the Earth kingdom."

"Let me tell you a story. Long ago, this island used to be shared by all four nations, did you know that? The Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Water Tribes. This was more than 17,000 years ago, and legend has it that there used to be a certain ceremonial gathering place in the very heart of Karu-Loki, but to find it you must have peace in your heart and love for others in your thoughts. Otherwise, you can forget about it."

"What's so special about it?" grumbled the prince, flicking his queen forward and taking one of Iroh's bishops. "I bet it's some old castle where wishy-washy freaks get together to play _chess_." Iroh smiled.

"No, it is a place for lovers, Prince Zuko. But it is also a place where it is said to house the lost scripts of the first leaders of the four nations. The avatar can bring peace, but also destruction. While it is said you cannot have one without the other, the scripts say differently. But those who have cleansed themselves to find it, found it."

"So why is the world so messed up?" Zukko asked, frowning as Iroh's pawn took his queen. Iroh glanced at him, his nephew the very image of bored, his chin resting in his palm, his elbow resting on his knee, a disgruntled look on his face.

He smiled.

"Once having read the script, the founder at once imagines all the glory he will have, when he fixes the world. Or he becomes greedy on thoughts like how much money he will receive for it, or how others will fawn over him when he fixes their lives. The finder may not think this as diminishing the peace and love, but the island knows. You get out by the way you get it, with a peaceful heart, and loving mind." Zuko sat up a bit more.

"That's dumb," he snickered. "Then no one can find those lost script things now, because everything's so corrupted. Ha!" In one quick movement, Zuko snatched up a castle and cornered Iroh's king. Then he stood, bumping his head against the low canvas of the tent.

"It's too hot in here, I'm going to see if I can catch a fish or something," he grumbled, letting himself out of the tent and grabbing the fishing spear leaning against it.

"Be careful, Prince Zuko. Do not let others see you. The Fire Lord Ozai has sent warrants of our capture to even the remotest village on the tiniest island." Zuko sighed and looked down at the rickety spear in his hands. He used to be a prince, Prince of the Fire Nation. He used to have honor, every little thing done for him. He was a royal. Now look at him, fishing for his own food while his devil of a sister went gallivanting around the world, people bowing right and left.

"I will, uncle," Zuko said finally, gripping the spear hard and disappearing through the dense wall of trees and shrubbery. Iroh gazed after him and shook his head. This boy was more a man than the entire Fire Nation put together.

* * *

"Come on you guys, help me out here," Katara called irritably from where she was hunched over a pile of dead sticks on the shore, rubbing two furiously together. Shouts and whoops were still coming from the water, where Aang, Sokka, and Toph were having an enthusiastic water fight. 

"Hey, no fair! You cant use your bending!" Sokka shouted, ducking as a stream of water was sent his way.

"I didn't! That was my mouth!" Aang shouted back, both fists in the air in victory as Sokka frantically washed his face. Toph giggled, then sent both of them flying through the air as she capulted them with earth. Katara sighed and threw down the sticks she had just rubbed into toothpicks. The wood was too dry and on the verge of crumbling, it couldn't start a fire.

"I'm going to get some better wood, if anyone cares," she said loudly over her shoulder.

"You do that!" Aang called absentmindedly, dodging a large splash from Sokka and Momo. "Hey Appa! A little assistance, if you please!" The great bison flicked his tail effortlessly and sent an enormous wave toward Sokka, flinging him into the air.

"Hey! That's not fair either! You've Appa _and_ Toph and all I've got is Momo!" Katara sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Boys," she grumped.

_**

* * *

Meanwhile **_

"Gah!" the banished prince of the Fire Nation sat glowering in the shallow water of the Bai An River. "This--is--IMPOSSIBLE!" he exploded, jumping up and grabbing the fishing spear.

He darted around, splashing and jabbing wildly at several small fish.

"I'm going to get you if--it's--the--last--thing--I--DO!" He bent over, panting. Stupid fish! Finally getting fed up and extremely frustrated, he shot a well-aimed fireball at a large carp that seemed to be taunting him. Blood and water splashed up toward him.

"_Ha_!" he shouted at the mutilated fish. "I _got_ you!" As he picked up his hard-earned prize, a growl resounded from behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: We don't own Avatar.

AN: Just so you know this was written by LittleMissMartini but uploaded by me, LadyFireCat. R&R People!

* * *

Chapter Two: The Prince and the Peasant 

Two yellow eyes had appeared, blinking slowly, in the shadow of the trees.

"Who's there!" he shouted, dropping the fish to the ground and holding himself in a ready stance. "Get out here!" The growling stopped, the eyes suddenly vanished, and the rustling grew louder. Out of the Azenberry bush stepped…a striped lion cub. It bounded up faster than Zuko could react, and happily started to feast on the fish at his feet.

"Hey!" Zuko protested angrily, "That's mine!" He squatted and tried to tug the fish from it. The lion cub growled and tugged it back.

"Don't _make_ me kill you," Zuko said to it. "Because I will!"

The lion cub licked its chops and sat back on its haunches, gazing at the Fire Nation prince through large golden eyes. Zuko frowned, and lifted his had threateningly.

"I mean it! No, seriously, I will!" he said. Apparently losing interest, the cub leaned forward to take another bite of his meal. Zuko grabbed it by the thick fur at its neck and held it up in front of his face.

"No," he said firmly, "bad kitty. Very bad kitty. You do _not_ take people's food."

The cub licked his face.

* * *

Katara fought her way through a dense wall of trees, shrieking as a spider landed on her torso wrap. There had to be a few extra branches lying around _somewhere_.

She paused. The sound of flowing water was nearby. Good. Maybe there were fish she could catch and fry or boil. Sokka had always prided himself in being one of the best fishermen in their village. Katara smirked. Wait till he saw how many fish she had caught.

Peering through the trees, she gasped at what she saw.

Prince Zuko.

Talking to a lion cub.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, then opened them again. Yep, still talking to a lion cub. Not even about to kill it or drown it in the water. Maybe her brain was waterlogged or something, but she swore he sounded reproachful. She crept closer. He had grown more hair on his head than she had remembered, and it made him look younger and…well, cuter. He was wearing brown peasant trousers—part of his disguise, no doubt—and no shirt. Katara's eyes followed his nicely toned and muscular chest, sprinkled with small cuts and scars.

While she was staring at his chest, so unlike Aang's scrawny one or Sokka's…brother-like one, he had dropped the cat. Apparently, it chose to ignore Zuko's manner lessons and began to once again eat the fish. Zuko sighed and flopped onto the ground beside it. Katara clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing out loud. He looked like any ordinary teenage boy, grumpy with his cat. Is that ordinary?

Now, if she could sneak _carefully_ back towards Aang and warn him. The cat stiffened, and turned to look through the dense shrubbery. Katara froze. The cat dropped the fish and started to creep towards her, its brown eyes trained eerily on something Katara hoped wasn't her.

"Hey," Zuko called, "where are you going?" With one swift leap, the cub had propelled itself through the bush, and had shot past Katara faster than she could gasp. Zuko frowned, and kicked the fish after it.

_Splat_.

Katara held her breath so as not to scream out loud as she viewed the half-eaten fish slowly sliding thickly down her chest, leaving a trail of slime, blood, and a long internal organ.

But Zuko had heard the splat. He narrowed his eyes.

"Who's there!" he shouted for the second time that day. Katara squared her shoulders. If it was a fight Zuko wanted, it was a fight he was going to get.

She burst through the trees, skidded on a rock, and went flying into Zuko's chest, sending them both tumbling into the stream and Zuko lost his balance from surprise.

"What the hell!" Zuko shouted, soaked and dripping. Katara swiftly drew water from the stream and shot a powerful wave at Zuko, who was immediately washed downstream.

Frustrated, Zuko was about to shoot a fire blast when his uncle's voice flitted through his head.

"_The Fire Lord Ozai has sent warrants of our capture to even the remotest village on the tiniest island."_

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, extending his hand. A forceful stream of water whipped him across the face while another twisted around his ankles, causing him to stumble and fall again. _Stupid peasant girl_. _This will mean the end for the Avatar as well if she keeps this up_!

His face stinging, Zuko scrambled up and dove out of way of an oncoming torrent. He shot a small fireball at Katara, large enough to forcefully knock her back but not powerful enough to harm her badly.

Katara was confused. Why wasn't he fighting back like he always did? He had probably been through more training than when she had met him last. Perhaps it was a new tactic she had yet to learn. Pondering this, she was suddenly knocked back. _Ah, so now he chooses to fight, Interesting technique_. She began to push herself up, but Zuko was at her side faster than she could say a four letter word.

"Stop!" he hissed urgently. "I'm not fighting you, you dunce! Azula and her friends could be here at any moment!" Katara moved away from him and stood, her eyes flashing with contempt.

"So? If they show up, _we'll_ fight," she said fiercely, meaning her, Aang, Toph, and Sokka. Her fierce look suddenly gave way to amusement. "Or is Prince Zuko afraid?" she mocked. Zuko flared up and a powerful blast of fire wiped the smile from her face.

"Never say that." He towered over her, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes narrowed. "Never say that," he repeated, eyes blazing like the fire that was just a moment ago dancing about his fingers.

_"Zuzu's afraaiiiddd_,"_ Azula singsonged. "He's afraid of everything. He is weak." _

_"Shut up!" Zuko screamed, picking up a stone and heaving it at her. Azula lifted a hand and the stone burst into flame as she laughed. _

_"Zuzu's afraiiiiddd. Zuzu is weak. Zuzu's afraiiiddd, Zuzu is weak_,"_ Azula chanted, laughing, her cold gold eyes dancing with enjoyment. _

_"Yes," said a quiet voice. Azula stopped chanting as Lord Ozai drifted towards them. _

_""Your brother Zuko is weak. He is afraid. And he always will be_."

"You're wrong!" Zuko shouted. Katara, startled, stepped back. Zuko was trembling, and she had never seen him this way before. It frightened her.

"You're wrong," he said again, and then again, his voice breaking. Katara had seen this in her village when Sokka had said a something scathing to a small boy, causing him to scream and shout and cry.

Katara, thoroughly alarmed, reached out with uncertainty and made to touch his shoulder. Her hand was roughly knocked out of the way as Zuko stumbled back, shooting a blast of fire at her, which she blocked at the last second.

_Fine. It was a fight he wanted. A fight he'll get_. Katara narrowed her eyes and a large wave started to form silently behind the prince.

_Fine. We'll fight. And the Avatar will be captured, and Azula will win again_. Zuko flexed his fingers, knowing from the expert tingling on the back of his neck exactly what was behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar, any of its characters, or any of its storylines. I do, however, own this one. Well---that's about it, I guess. Oh wait--enjoy!

AN: I will be away on vacation for the next week.For more details, visit our profile.

* * *

Chapter Three: The Elites 

"Are you as bored as I am?" Ty Lee complained, wrinkling her small snub nose. She flipped over backwards and landed silently on her feet. Mai watched with little interest, before answering her.

"Boredom doesn't matter," she said monotonously, examining her long nails polished in a poisonous crimson. "We're trying to find the Avatar and the prince…oh, and that failure Iroh." Ty Lee smirked knowingly.

"Or in your case," she added, "finding the prince first might not be so bad." Mai, turning the color of her nails she was examining, quickly stood.

"I'm going to find Azula," she said loftily.

The young princess of the Fire Nation was at the moment hunched over an enormous map of the world at the map table. Wait, scratch that. Azula never "hunched" over anything. She was at that moment perched on a black stool with golden dragons carved into the legs, gazing intently at a large map. A knock sounded at the thick metal door on the other side of the room.

"Come in," Azula snapped, annoyed. Mai slid the door open and stepped in.

"Oh, it's you," Azula said, although she knew perfectly well who it was. There were only three of them, and since Ty Lee had been too busy doing those flips of hers, worried that she would forget, that left eternally bored Mai.

"What is it? Have you seen anything?" Azula asked. Mai folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall, shaking her head.

"Well what is it? I'm busy, Mai," Azula said, and turned back to study the map. "They had to have stopped _somewhere_." She reached for a magnifying glass, her eyes trained to the three small islands closest to the Earth Kingdom.

"Maybe they died or something," said Mai. "Or maybe your brother already captured them and is dragging them back to your daddy dearest."

"Zuzu? Not a chance," spat Azula, throwing down her magnifying glass in frustration. "Is it me or is it abnormally hot?"

"Welll," said Mai, dragging out the word. "We _are_ traveling across the ocean in a ship made of _iron_ in a sweltering 120 degrees, so, no, not really that much abnormal." Azula flashed her a glare. Mai returned with a smirk and slid the iron door open.

"Later," she called over her shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever," Azula grumbled, inspecting her cat-like nails.

"Still looking at that stupid map?" asked Ty Lee, hanging by her legs from the pretty chandelier, once Mai had returned.

"Of course," Mai answered thickly through a mouthful of Pandora pepper curry puffs. She licked the spicy powder from her fingers, smiling. Let Azula do the tracking for now, _she_ was eating the last bag of curry puffs.

"I don't know how you can eat those things," said Ty Lee disgustedly, eyeing the silvery packaging that held the tiny puffs. "When I eat them I feel like I just swallowed fire."

"Hence the name Pandora pepper _curry _puffs," said Mai, munching happily. Ty Lee shrugged. Hey, at least she wasn't bored anymore.

_

* * *

Whoosh. Zuko leapt out of the way just as the nine-foot wall of water was about to crash down over his head. Of __course_ he had known she was doing _something_ behind his back. They always did these water peasant folk. He was more surprised that the stream held enough water to form a nine-foot wave, strangely enough.. Zuko leapt out of the way just as the nine-foot wall of water was about to crash down over his head. Of he had known she was doing behind his back. They always did these water peasant folk. He was more surprised that the stream held enough water to form a nine-foot wave, strangely enough. 

Katara clenched her fists, frustrated. He kept jumping and dodging everywhere like a bloody cricket or something.

"CAN'T YOU STAY STILL!" she exploded, twisting her wrist in one swift motion and catching Zuko by the ankle with a thin rope of water as he tried to give another one of his acrobatic leaps. She gave a great sigh of triumph as he crashed back down into the much abused stream.

"Can't you give up!" Zuko retorted angrily, swapping a fireball into her side and knocking her a foot to the left and into the trees. Katara scrambled up immediately, wincing. _That_ _was going to leave a mark_.

"I've told you before, I'm not—trying—to—fight—you!" he continued rather breathlessly, shooting fire blasts between each word.

"And yet you are!" Katara shouted, and screeched as a jet of fire singed her linen underskirt. Zuko frowned. She was a stubborn one. She reminded him of someone. _Who though_? He questioned himself as he went flying backwards into some brambles. _Oomph_.

He groaned as he rolled over and over backwards, cracking his neck and bruising practically every part of his body. He lay still, breathing heavily, coughing as he inhaled a small beetle and some dead leaves.

"Give up yet?" She sounded proud of her handiwork. _Ah_, thought Zuko, spitting out the beetle but having a leaf lodged in his throat. _Me. She reminds me of me. Well doesn't that just make my day_? Zuko opened his mouth to answer, but he was suddenly flung into the air as the ground beneath him shifted to resemble a small tower that had catapulted him.

"Toph!" _Great_, thought Zuko, _the Avatar_. He crashed hard into the ground, hazy thoughts drifting through his head as the world blackened. _Who's that little girl? Why are they all wearing underclothes? Hey, I can kinda see through the water peasant's_…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: **LadyFireCat** and LittleMissMartini don't own Avatar. I mean would we be writing this if we did?

A/N:**LadyFireCat here. My cousin hasn't really been working on the chapter so... This is all we can give you right now. For our excuses, go to our profile. Oh yeah and she included this note to you readers out there. Sorry it's so short. Don't worry we'll get the next chapter out as soon as we can. Ja ne. **

From LittleMissMartini: Note: I might write some more to add onto this, because I think my readers will be like, "OMG when is she going to friggin get on with the story line!" To which I'll cower and reply, "I'm sorry! Ahhhh!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Four: In Which they Prepare Dinner

"What is he doing here!" yelled Sokka, horrified as Toph and Katara came dragging the prince of the Fire Nation through the sand. Aang peered at his face.

"Did you knock him out?" he asked, poking Zuko's shoulder. Zuko twitched but otherwise remained unconscious. Katara shrugged.

"He kept saying that he didn't want to fight me," she said. "So he blasted me a few times, but in the end I got him."

"_You_ beat Prince Zuko?" Sokka asked, smirking. "Right, okay then. No, really Toph, what happened—aah!" Katara sent him flying backwards with not her bending, but a killer uppercut and right hook.

"What do we do with him?" Aang asked, oblivious to Sokka's moaning and clutching of his face, "At one point or another Iroh's going to come looking for him."

"That crazy tea guy?" Toph asked. She smirked. "I know, why don't we just make a trail of teapots leading another direction?"

"Why don't we get him to some shade first?" suggested Katara, fanning herself. "I just took a dip and I'm still sweating like a Stub-Tailed Water Weasel."

"Can those be ridden?" asked Aang, perking up.

Katara rolled her eyes. "They could, but you'd probably kill them because they're _weasels_." Aang sighed and he and Katara proceeded to drag him into the shade of a tall banana tree with a canopy of wide leaves.

"Why don't we just kill him?" said Sokka, who had appeared rubbing the large red marks on his face. He cringed and held his hands warily over his face at Katara's glare.

"Look, he's going to wake up sooner or later, so why don't we just tie him up?" suggested Toph reasonably.

"Because he'll just burn away the rope," Katara replied. She drew water from her pouch, formed her healing glove, and set to work repair any broken bones and tend to any bloodied flesh.

"Riiiighttt," said Toph slowly as if she were trying to teach a stubborn child that one plus one equals two. "But if you use _leather_ he can't. Leather is slow to burn, difficult to break, and will cause him pain if he tries to burn it." Katara, Aang, and Sokka all looked around at her in surprise.

"Hey," Toph said defensively as if she had sensed their surprised looks. "How else do you think I made it to Earth Rumble 3, 4, 5, and 6 without my Earth bending master finding out?"

"You are one bad little girl," Sokka said, inching away from her.

"Great idea," Aang said, "but we don't have any leather."

"Sure we do," said Toph cheerfully.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nooo!" Sokka winced as Katara sliced thick strips of leather from the flap of Sokka's bag. "I bought that bag with my own money!"

"Nooo," said Katara, intent on cutting. "You bought this bag with the money to stole from little Fu Jeng." Sokka rolled his eyes and waved off her accusation.

"Steal, borrow, same thing," he huffed. "And besides, that was four years ago and he was too rich for his own good. What was a little kid going to do with all that money anyway? Buy a golden sled?" Katara sighed.

"There," she said after a few moments of intense slicing, "that should be enough—"

"Yes, let's stop now. That's plenty," Sokka hurriedly cut in, looking forlornly at his bag without a flap. Toph raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"For the prince of the _Fire Nation?", _she butted in. "No, I think we should just cut it all—you know, just in case he's _really_ strong." Sokka moaned as Katara nodded and picked up the knife again.

"Okay, Aang, Toph, Sokka—oh shut up about the bag already—take these strips and tie him up. I'll cut more." Grumbling and shooting nasty looks to the Fire Nation prince for being so strong, Katara and the knife for cutting up his favored bag, and at Toph, which she pleasantly ignored, Sokka grabbed Zuko's hands and bound them tightly. Aang did the feet and wadded up a strip of linen to block Zuko's mouth from blowing out fire, then secured it with a strip of Sokka's bag.

She leaned close to him (unconsciously breathing in his scent of sweat, wood smoke, and an aging chess set). "See, _this_ is what happens when you fight and say you're not," she said with venom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Alright, and now for my sad excuse. Here it goes : I was drowning in homework, my teachers breath fire, and I swear the staircases move around just to torment me. Oh, and did I mention I only get like fifteen minutes for lunch? well, whatever the case may be, this is weekend and I'm trying to get in my stories in between mountainous piles of homework and stress. here you go. If you flame me, I'll make sure to personally blow up your house. Yea...that's how stressed I am

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Chapter Five: Reunion Party

Ty Lee was trying to see if she could twist herself in a pretzel when the heavy metal door slid open with a tremendous crash and Azula slinked in like a cat, twirling her hair, the familiar look of cold triumph gleaming hard in her eyes.

"I've found them," she said simply, a slow smile stretching across her face. "That disgusting fishing boat that passed us. They gave passage to my dear brother." Ty Lee disentangled herself and stood, gaping. Mai folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall, resuming her eternally bored stupor. Then she spoke.

"Which coordinates?" she asked monotonously.

"Fifty-five leagues south, that little island," Azula pulled out a sheaf of papers and threw them at her friend, then turned to map out the coordinates.

"And this time, they're not getting away that easily. Leave me Zuko," she said, twisting a brass knob and cranking a long turntable. Ty Lee silently folded herself into a seat and stared out through the large window.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_Crit-it-it-eewwww! Crit-it-it-ewwwwww!_ Iroh awoke with a start, blearily waving his arms and tumbling off the cot. He regained his composure on the floor, and then smiled warmly.

"Ah, the Crying Gale bird, a very tasty dish with a dash of lemon, Camisode herbs, and butter. And if you're feeling especially daring, a pinch of Pandora pepper. Sounds delicious, eh Zuko?" Expecting to hear a disgruntled groan or a badly aimed fire bolt, Iroh was surprised when he heard just the now annoying cry of the Crying Gale bird.

"Prince Zuko?" He clambered up from the ground, dusting himself off and pushing open the flap of the tent. A blast of flame greeted him and knocked him to the ground. Something or someone had arced over him and he suddenly found himself trussed up like a turkey.

"Well, well, well, what _have_ we got here?" Azula stepped out of the shadows, her catlike smile in place upon her lips.

"Azula," said Iroh cheerily. "My, you _have_ grown since I saw you last. Did you enjoy the little doll I sent you from Ba-Sing-Se?"

"I burned it," Azula snapped. Why was this old gasbag still talking?

"Oh, what a shame, a blind earth bender made it with her toes, you know," Iroh went on steadily. "It was a very interesting sight to watch. You might have seen her when you went to burn the city." He frowned a little at the thought.

"With her toes?" Ty Lee broke in. Iroh gave himself an inward smile. Ah, so they brought the pleasant little monkey along as well.

"Yes indeed," Iroh said heartily. "And what was interesting was that she had to find the right fiber—"

"Enough!" Azula shouted, glaring at Ty Lee, who withdrew meekly.

"Tell me where my _brother dear_ is," she demanded. Iroh appeared to be thinking.

"Well, he wasn't with me when I woke up, because if I mentioned food to him he would try to shoot me. Actually, I was about to go look for him. The raft is gone—," Iroh added. Azula gave a start, and then glared at him.

"Do you think me ignorant?" she shouted at him. "How would _you_ know that the raft was missing if we caught you when you were just coming out?"

Iroh sighed. "You didn't let me finish my sentence," he said patiently. "So—"Azula shrieked as Iroh blew her into a tree using his nostrils as ventilation. He burned his ropes off and quickly dodged Ty Lee, who had launched herself at him.

"I suppose you thought to paralyze me," Iroh called conversationally as he burnt a torrent of arrows from Mai to a crisp. He countered Azula's shock of lightning and quickly back flipped behind the tent. Azula blasted the tent to fiery pieces, but moments too late. Iroh had vanished.

"Find him!" Azula roared, her fine face contorted with inexplicable fury. "I will not lose this chance. Ty Lee, go north of the island, Mai, east. _I'll_ go after the filthy traitor." The three elites separated in an instant, each speeding off like lightning toward their directions. Azula felt her blood thundering in her ears as she sprinted away into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Dancer on Sunset's Shore

Katara prodded and poked a resolutely still, charred pile of wood in the fire pit. Sokka and Aang had gone in search of dinner and Toph had fallen asleep at her post again. The fire just would not start.

"Aarrghh!" Katara kicked at a crumbly-looking piece of wood and immediately fell over, sucking air through her teeth in pain as she massaged her throbbing foot. '_Stupid burnt wood thingy that's really, really solid_.'

She sat there on the ground, kneading her foot and glaring at the useless fireplace. Toph rolled over in her heavy slumber, completely undisturbed. But a low moan sounded as Zuko slowly blinked his eyes. Once…twice…then they snapped open.

"Mmmph! Mmph mm emmph!" he yelled; which translated to probably "where the hell am I?!" He struggled with his bonds. Katara jumped up immediately, trying to assemble herself in a readied stance but almost fell over again as her toe seemed to been broken.

"Mmph mnno fffkkk!" he growled, which meant "Get this off me!" Katara was by his side in an instant, her face grim against pain, and clamped two fingers tightly over his nose, blocking his oxygen.

"MMMPHHH!!!!!" he yelled, his eyes widening. He turned his head from side to side, trying to snatch his nose away from Katara's inhuman grip. Katara let go of his nose.

"Don't try and burn yourself out," she said. Zuko narrowed his eyes at her angrily.

"Mmmph hmm hmmm HHMPH!" he snapped, meaning "I wasn't going to!" Katara moved forward cautiously. She still hadn't forgotten how powerful he was. That last encounter at the river wasn't her idea of a little battle.

"I'm going to untie your mouth," she said. "If you do anything I will drown you." His gaze shifted uncertainly to the darkening black water. Her eyes moved with his as she backed away toward the stubbornly still fire pit. He watched her bend, her slender figure crouching. The clumsy Water Tribe dress did not appeal to her; he wished she would just take it off. She looked much better in a wet linen wrap…and perhaps even nothing at all.

He watched her mouth frown as her slim fingers wrapped around two pieces of wood. She rubbed them together, her blue eyes darkening with frustration. Katara lifted a languid finger, pushing dark hair behind her ears. It was like a dance; so graceful yet purposeful. It was a while before he realized that she was actually trying to start a fire.

"Move." Katara, startled, turned to stare at him when an orange flame shot out of his mouth. Immediately, the charred logs erupted in flame, merry warmth radiating from it. Zuko sat comfortably back against his tree trunk and watched as the Water bender peasant's expression from confusion, to relief, back to confusion, then haughtiness.

"Thanks," she sniffed. The waves rolled with their heavy, mysterious push-and-pull motion against the shore, Toph muttered foul language at someone called Pig face in her sleep, and the Water Tribe peasant and the Fire Nation prince sat across from one another in silence, reading each others' eyes across the dancing flames, wondering what the other was thinking.


End file.
